Reading 1: Job 18-19

19 v. 3 - By their judgement of their brother, they estrange themselves from him. Clearly they are losing here, as Job is the righteous one, but they can't see that. The implications are frightening. How many times might we have done just the same in condemning the actions of others. v.17, Psa.69:8

ch. 18 - Just like his other friends, Bildad now really turns the pressure on. They are absolutely convinced that Job must have committed some dreadful sin to be where he is, and that there is no longer salvation for him. Their judgement will turn out to be the one by which they are judged.

19:26 There is much speculation as to whether Job believed in the resurrection. However we note that Jesus, quoting Job's words (Matthew 5:8) says that the pure in heart will see God and clearly Jesus is speaking of the blessedness of those who are to be raised from the dead.

A sense of security can be found in many different things for many different people during different circumstances in their lives, but one of the most common things we have as our security is our wealth. We mistakenly believe that if our finances are in a healthy position and we have insurance's for those unforeseen circumstances, then nothing too bad can happen to us. But we can be so wrong when we think like that.

Job could have thought that way while he was one of the greatest men in the east, but God took everything he had in one day and then afflicted his health and morale. Job's wealth couldn't save him - and Job had more wealth to put to the test than any of us could ever dream of. Our wealth has even less ability to save us from calamity than Job's.

What we own, our silver and gold, has no impact at all on eternal things either. God does not care how rich in possessions we are. It is our faith that will save us in the end, not our riches.

So next time we make cash investments, buy possessions or pay insurance's, be sure to make an equal or bigger deposit to build up your faith account. Faith will really save.

Job 19:25-27. When Job answered Bildad in the 9th. chapter he desired a “daysman” or a mediator, this was a means to obtain justice. That is the theme in these verses, not resurrection, as we gather when we first read them. True justice would demand his bodily presence. Resurrection is thus implied rather than expressed. Job felt that at the resurrection he would be justified.

Bildad could not see any good in Job's answers. He judged Job to be evil, and says, in effect, that Job deserves what he has got. Perhaps if he had listened more intently to what Job was saying, he would not have condemned him so harshly.

Matt 18:3-4 - Jesus said that to attain a future reward we have to be humble like little children. And while knowledge is necessary for salvation (Rom 10:2; Hos 4:6) we have to be careful we don't get puffed up with knowledge (1Cor 8:1; Luke 18:9-14). However in Job we see a less admirable side of children along with fair weather friends and family Job 19:13-19; Job 6:14-15

18:2 Bildad’s annoyance, maybe exasperation, is seen with his words which might be styled ‘when are you going to shut up …’.

19:5 Now Job’s true understanding of what his friends were doing is seen. He thought that they, rather than comforting him, were exalting themselves above him. Hence they would not, as we saw in Job 17:3 , identify with his problem. Again something for us to think carefully about. Do we empathise with those we know who are in sorrow or do we laud it over them, thinking that we are in a better position of understanding than they?

18:2Job spent the largest part of his last speech focusing upon the grave and death as being a solution to his problems. All that Bildad can say is ‘you talk a lot, shut up and let me say something’ so we see there was no compassion, no empathy, no sympathy.

Bildad continues cutting, judgemental remarks against Job. He believes that Job must be wicked because God has punished him. We shall see later that the LORD is trying Job to refine his character, and not punishing him for wickedness.

19:25,26 Job seems to be expressing a belief in judgment and resurrection. Unfortunately, Job does not expound upon this, and so we are left with an incomplete understanding of what he meant. However, Job is accounted righteous, and an example to follow (Eze 14:14,26; James 5:11). With those endorsements, we should be surprised if Job were not in the Kingdom.

19:6 It is an error to think that God was seeking to destroy Job. Rather it was His chastening hand. However Job saw it as a ‘net’ How often do we lament our lot rather than seeing our experiences as God seeking to develop in us a mind like His son?

Bildad repeats himself for fifteen verses to say the simplest thing: that God punishes the wicked (Job 18:5-20). So we can see that the conversation has degraded to an argument about one point. Each side will become more involved stating their side of that point. And each will tear down aspects of what the other says to bolster their own argument. This is a sorry state of affairs when in all honesty Job's friends had come to comfort him. And we can very easily see where it all went wrong. We should take note ourselves. Look in v3:

"Why are we counted stupid in your sight?"

The friends, who were old, wise, esteemed men in their communities, had their pride injured by Job, and so they couldn't let it rest. In defending themselves they use God as a pawn, trying to make Him something that suited their argument. Job had said "you can't understand what's happening to me until you're in my shoes" (12v5,20,24-25) and they simply couldn't accept that there was something they couldn't explain (15:7-10). When we come across someone suffering we have to admit we don't know what it's like. We need to put pride aside, even if it means we now have nothing at all to say on the matter.

19:19 Now the truth is heard. Job sees his ‘friends’ as individuals who ‘abhor’ him. Doubtless they thought that they were doing the best thing for Job. Oh that we could see ourselves as others see us!

19:14 Reflect on what Job says. His friends are actually talking to him. However Job says that they have “forgotten” him. Do we ever feel isolated because we do not like what we are being told by our friends and family?

19:7 The fact that Job was still suffering should not have been taken as an indication that God did not listen to Job’s prayers. God answers prayers, but not necessarily as we would like them answered. We should take care not to assume that God is not listening to us just because we do not get what we ask for.

18:17-18 Bildad says that Job will not have any that remember him or his works on the earth. Of course that is of little consequence. Whilst men strive to leave a “legacy” for others to remember them by the faithful are concerned that God will remember them when Christ returns to set up God’s kingdom.

Reading 2: Zephaniah 1

v.7 - Fitting in with Bro. Peter's comment below, surely this 'sacrifice' that the Lord has prepared, is His Son Jesus Christ, by whose sacrifice we are saved, and by whose work we are clothed with a garment appropriate to our attendance at the wedding as the bride.

Zephaniah is in four parts:
1] The coming invasion of Nebuchadnezzar a figure of the day of the Lord, 1.1-2.3.
2] Predictions of judgment on certain peoples, 2.4-15.
3] The moral state of Israel for which the captivity was to come, 3.1-7.
4] The judgment of the nations followed by kingdom blessing under Messiah, 3.8-20.

1:8 The 'strange apparel' of Zephaniah answers to not having a wedding garment in Matthew 22:12

The punishment on the princes and the kings children is seen as being fulfilled by Pharaoh Necho and Babylon when we examine the relationship of the descendants of Josiah and notice who was made ruler over Judah.

1:13 The warning 'they shall build …' quotes Deuteronomy 28:30-31. In so doing the prophet reminds Judah that they are astray from God and as a consequence He is chastening them by bringing the curses to which the nation had agreed upon them.

1:12 In speaking of searching Jerusalem with candles the prophet is alluding to the way in which Jews cleansed their houses of leaven before Passover. The woman of the house would go round the house looking in every corner to remove any leaven. Whilst it was just a ritual it was developed from the command Exodus 12:19. The prophet here, is speaking of the removal of any corrupting influence in the city.

Zeph 1:7. The prophet is not unlike the likes of Isaiah (34:6), Jeremiah (46:10) and Ezekiel (39:17) in presenting the theme of sacrifice, when speaking of “the day of the LORD” referring to Christ who was the sacrifice by which each of us have the opportunity to have our sins covered with His poured out blood.

1:3 Whilst Zephaniah prophesied in the reign of Josiah who was a good king 2Chron 34:2 Zephaniah spoke of judgements from God. This is because whilst Josiah was a faithful king the people were still astray from God and rebellious.

V4 At this point of Josiah's reign he had not done away completely with Baal worship. Josiah began his reformation in the twelfth year of his reign (2Chron 34:4,8) and it appears that it took a few years to completely do away with it.

Zephaniah, whose name means Yahweh sheltered (hidden),prophesied around 625 BC. Josiah's reformation came about 621 BC, in which Zephaniah was probably involved. Zephaniah's prophecy concerns judgement of the Day of the Lord. Hebrew prophecy often has a dual application, and so the first application of the Day of the Lord judgement occurred when Nebuchadnezzar captured Judah. The second application will be when Christ returns and confronts the opposing nations.

The prophet warns Judah that the day of the Lord is very near. Zephaniah speaks in the days of good king Josiah, but God is recalling the sins of Manasseh (43 yrs), and Amon (2 yrs), and prophecies that Judah will be punished.

1:9 Leaping upon the threshold was a practice that Israel had learnt from the Philistines who would not tread on the threshold after Dagon fell down – 1Sam 5:5 – so Israel, rather than celebrating Yahweh’s victory over idols chose to copy the behaviour of those who recognised their idol could not stand before Yahweh.

The prophecy spoken through Zephaniah has much in common with the letter to the ecclesia at Philadelphia (Rev 3:13). It is not unlike the world that we all live in today, walking in complete indifference to the Word of God. Many, if not the majority of the people living in the western world boast in the pride spoken of to the Laodiceans (Rev 3:14-22), who had a life style not unlike that of North America today.

1:4 In saying ‘the remnant of Baal’ we learn the real reason for the terrible judgements that Zephaniah is pronouncing on Jerusalem. They were involved in Baal worship. Whilst Josiah was a good king it appears that the people were still serving Baal.

Judah thought that its wealth would save it. But the LORD clearly warns that earthly wealth cannot save in the day of adversity. When calamity occurs, the cry will go up from the Fish Gate and the second (v.10). The Fish Gate was so called because it was the entrance-way to the market area (for fish and other commodities). The second means the Second District, alternatively known as the College (meaning repetition, copy, second) (2Kin 22:14). The Fish Gate was situated in the lower city. It is through here that either the news came that the Babylonians were entering the city; or that it was Nebuchadnezzar, himself, who entered the city at this point.

The LORD vows to wipe out the wealth of Judah and to render them powerless (vs.11,13,18). The exhortation, for us, is to trust in the LORD and not in wealth (Prov 3:5; Mark 10:24).

1:2Josiah was a good king so it might seem strange that the prophet is pronouncing judgement upon Judah. However, as can be seen from a careful reading of the historical narrative that whilst Josiah was a good king the people did not, by and large, follow his good lead.

V.5 The Jews had a duality of worship. On the one hand, they worshipped Yahweh, but at the same time they worshipped the Ammonite god Milcom (Molech). They felt that as long as they paid their vows to the LORD, then they could go off and do other things. But, the LORD cannot tolerate a duality of worship (Exo 20:3). The same applies to us. We cannot worship the LORD but, at the same time, worship something else. This is made clear with regards to material wealth (Matt 6:24). But, the same principle applies to anything that takes time, energy, and concentration away from serving the LORD.

King Josiah was the king who made sweeping reformations throughout the kingdom of Judah. He purged the land of idols, re-opened the temple and insisted that all the people worship the LORD. King Josiah's reforms even spread outside the bounds of Judah and into the remnants of Israel that were left in the land. It is a hard job to reverse a downward trend of immorality, but Josiah achieved it and both Judah and what remained of Israel looked like they were the most faithful they had ever been.

Then along came Zephaniah, a prophet of the LORD, with a message of destruction and punishment against Judah for their idol worship, violence, deceit and complacency. We don't know whether this was one of the motivating factors that caused Josiah's reforms or whether it addressed the hidden sins that Josiah had not been able to remove, but we do know that very soon after Josiah's death the people turned back to the evil of their old ways.

Things might look fine on the surface in both our lives, our families, our churches or even in our cities, but what is really going on underneath? A merely external reformation will only result in the same judgement as no reformation at all. Let us be warned and reform completely, inside and out, before the return of Christ.

Zeph 1:7-8 God’s judgements were to fall on Judah and Jerusalem because of their worship of idols (Zeph 1:4-5).
v.7 The sacrifice was Judah and Jerusalem and the invited guests were the Babylonians who were to bring God’s judgements to put them out of the land.
v.8 The Divine assessment on the Jews was that they were not clothed in acceptable apparel.

v.5 They were corrupted and compromised by the nations around them.

Matt 22:11-13Jesus uses the words of the prophet Zephaniah as the basis for the judgement on unworthy man in the parable of the marriage of the King’s son.
Matt.22:11 The King came to see his subjects. The Lord will visit us in the day of account. Some will be found in clothing that is not acceptable to the King
Matt.22:12 -13 The King will pronounce judgement to exclude the faithless from the Kingdom.
We must stay focused, seeking “first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matt 6:33). That we may be found clothed in acceptable garments like some in Sardis (Rev 3:4)

1:7 the ‘day of the Lord’ spoken of by Zephaniah is the upcoming Babylonian captivity of Judah. Probably an even which happened within the lifetime of many of those who heard Zephaniah’s words as from the end of Josiah’s reign to the Babylonian invasion was no more than 22 years.

"And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them" Gen 6:7

"I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the Lord"Zeph 1:3

You will have noticed that these two are almost exactly the same, except in the second one the "fishes of the sea" are destroyed too. Is God saying that the situation now is even worse than when he destroyed the world in the flood?

The verse mentions kings and princes and those in strange apperal. The words clothed mean "self-clothed" and takes us back to Adam and Eve who in an attempt to cover their sins (flesh) made their own (self) clothes which failed to cover themselves properly.

We are to be kings and priests and we are to be suitably dressed but does it matter what we wear when we approach God? The priesthood were clothed in correct apperral, why? Psa 96:9 tells us we are to "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness". The words are we should be ARRAYED in holiness, and we can only be dressed properley when like the priests our flesh is covered we are not to dress to please the flesh but to glorify Yahweh and also reflect the sanctuary.

So too our apperal should reflect glory to Yahweh and not the flesh. Does a short skirt or a tieless shirt glorify flesh or glorify Yahweh?

1:6 In the days of Josiah who reigned during the time of Zephaniah the king Josiah – 2Chron 34:26 – enquired of God which contrast with the people who had forsaken God and were not at all interested in what He said in His word.

1:17 In speaking of the dead being like dung on the ground the prophet is saying the same as the contemporary prophet said on a number of occasions –Jer 8:2, 9:22, 16:4, 25:33. An awful picture of a polluted land

1:1 “How long …” is the lament of the faithful in Rev 6:10. But does this cry reflect our own cry about the situation in the world and the desire for Jesus Christ to return and establish God’s righteousness in the earth?

Reading 3: 2Peter 3

v.4 - Let us take hope in the great signs of the times. As you probably know, a major eminent person in church circles in the UK announced on national television early in 2000, that Jesus would not return to the earth. The outworking of God's plan is wonderful to observe. Let us keep watchful.

3:16 In associating the writings of Paul with 'the other scriptures' Peter is showing us that in the first century Paul's' writings had the same status as the Old Testament. This is a useful indication of the way in which the New Testament grew.

:9 Whilst it is so easy to feel that our lord 'delayeth his coming' the very reason for that seeming delay is the mercy of God. He is looking for men to repent. This grace has it's outworking in our lives. We deserve to die because we sin. However our Father is chastening us so that we will repent of our ongoing sins - so that He can give us a place in the kingdom!

3:3 'shall come', like 2Pet 2:1-3 indicates that Peter wrote to warn the brethren about problems that were shortly to come upon the ecclesias. Jude ( 1:4) wrote at a time when the problems that Peter warned about had come. Hence the striking similarity between the ideas and language of 2 Peter and Jude.

V.9 Delay is actually a demonstration of the Divine character. It is the longsuffering of a God who yearns for the salvation of men and women. He wants them saved more than they want His salvation. Our Creator's desire is to save all.

V.17 As he draws to the end of his letter Peter exhorts the believers to be on guard against lawless men, and to grow spiritually in Jesus Christ. The first part relates to possibly external influences, and second part to internal development (spiritual).

V.11-12 - does this mean we may have an affect as to when Christ returns by our behaviour and prayers?

Twisting scripture

V.16 - not everything is easy to understand in the Bible and unfortunately some will distort scripture resulting in their own destruction. 1Cor 14:33; 2Tim 2:15; Acts 17:11 - Difficulties in interpretation or the occasional paradox can be resolved by delving more carefully into scripture.

The world at large is not expecting Christ to return (vs.3,4). More to the point, are we living in expectation of the Lord's return? The signs in the political heavens tell us that His return is close. Remember that world history does not have to complete its course before the Lord returns to collect and judge His own. Are we constantly talking to each other with nervous, yet joyous, anticipation of His return and the Kingdom which he will bring? Or are we too bogged down with the cares of this life? (Luke 21:34). Do we honestly care? (Matt 6:21).

3:17 Knowing the gospel does not render us immune to error. Those to whom Peter wrote knew the gospel, yet Peter was concerned lest they fell away. We are in the same situation and just as likely as they to fall away. The antidote is fellowship with helpful brethren and attention to Scripture.

3:8 In saying that a day is as a thousand years Peter is making no vague comment. He is quoting Psa 90:4. Thus showing that Scripture delineates how God works, thus criticising those – 2Pet 3:4 – who have said that because time has passed since Jesus spoke the Olivet prophecy that God will not keep His word about the ‘coming’ of Jesus.

3:15 Peter shows no grudge against Paul for the correction he received in Antioch, and for seeing it written about in Paul's letter to the Galatians. Peter was not afraid to admit to his personal failures. Peter refers to Paul as being his "dear brother"

V.3 Scoffers of the Truth have always existed, but they became particularly prevalent in the first century and onward. Today, we live in a world that has declared God is dead; creation came about by a cosmic accident, not by divine design; Humanism is worshipped. We must be careful not to entertain any idea that cannot be borne out by the Word of God.

V.10 The earth will not be literally destroyed. It will be cleansed of all that offends the LORD. After this cleansing, a new order of righteousness and bounty will exist (v.13).

3:5 Willing ignorance is knowing something is true but ignoring that truth. We know, for example,. That we are called to separateness. However there are times that whilst knowing this we still choose to associate with things and people that we should not.

What might have been some examples from Paul's writings of what Peter calls here "things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort...to their own destruction"?

Any answer to this really has to be speculative since Peter doesn't elaborate here at the end of this letter. But some hints may be found earlier in ch. 2 where Peter condemns some of these false teachers and false prophets (v. 1). He says in vv. 18,19 -

"For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage."

The "freedom" that they promised equated to their indulging in lustful desires of sinful human nature and enticing newly baptized believers to follow their example. In other words, they were teaching that since they were saved by grace, that that fact gave them a license to sin, and in doing so, they were actually doing God a favor in giving Him the opportunity to do what He does best - to show His grace and mercy to them. Paul in his writings about salvation through the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus must have been misinterpreted by people such as these that Peter refers to. In Rom. 3:5-8 Paul says -

"...if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? And why not say, 'Let us do evil that good may come'? - as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just."

He makes a similar point in Rom. 6:1,2 -

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?"

This seems to me to be the kind of general teaching of Paul's that Peter is referring to - and yet, if approached with any kind of logical thinking, Paul's teaching was not hard at all to comprehend. But it would appear that many had an agenda - that being a so-called "freedom" to indulge in any and all sins that they desired to be involved in without any consequences to their actions. And they must have used Paul's writings as an endorsement of that agenda.

Now there very likely were other examples of this sinful behavior, but I'm not sure what they would have been. One point to keep in mind when considering these statements of Peter's here is that, through inspiration, he gives no slack to those people who were doing these things. It is a very common view among many to discredit doctrine - to say, in effect, that as long as someone is sincere in their understanding and teaching, that sincerity trumps any and all problems there might be with what they believe and teach. Scriptures such as these here bring out clearly that destruction awaits all of those who have departed from the true gospel message. Sincerity is only a good thing when it is coupled with truth. As Jesus said -

"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:24).

Also in a different place (Jn. 8:31,32) Jesus said -

"If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (note - not sincerely believed false teachings).

3:11 Peter is encouraging his readers to reflect on the end of this age as a basis for deciding how they ought to live. Likewise we should, by looking at the fact that this order of things will pass, so be more motivated to serve God faithfully.

We don't use the word "perdition" much these days. To get the meaning of the word take a look at all the occasions it's used in 2 Peter. The original Greek word is Apoleia and is translated in the text as damnation, destruction, or perdition.

which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

When we put them together in a list we can see that Peter's overall theme in these chapters is those who were teaching false doctrines, taking the Bible message and "wresting" it for their own ends. Such practice damages the fragile faith and understanding of those who are seeking salvation, and it is for those who do this that the destruction, damnation and perdition mentioned here is reserved.

"You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."2Pet 3:17-18

3:6 The arguments that are advanced to tell us that the earth is of great age are flawed. All theories that seek to date the earth by making assumption about how things have continued since the beginning of time miss the fact that on occasion God clearly intervened and broke the possibility of a continuous process. The flood was one of those. This is not to say anything about the age of the earth. Rather it is to highlight those who would suggest a great age for the earth are using faulty reasoning.

As we study many of the books of the Bible, we have to discover for ourselves what we should be learning from them. Peter, on the other hand, tells us exactly what he wants us to get out of reading his letters. This is what he says, "Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Saviour through your apostles." (2Pet 3:1-2).

Peter's letters were written to help us think wholesome thoughts. He points out that if we focus our thoughts on God's word, our thoughts will become more wholesome. It also follows that as our thinking becomes more wholesome, so our actions will follow suit. After all, our actions are really just an extension of what we think.

Later, in this same chapter, when Peter encourages us to think about the return of Jesus, he adds,"So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him."(v.14). Notice how the thinking about wholesome things leads to a wholesome way of living.

So let's make sure that reading Peter's letters to us stimulates us to wholesome thinking and a godly way of life.

3:4 Jesus had spoken of his “coming” Matt 24:48 in response to the questioning of the disciples. I suppose it is easy to think it will not happen if one measures time from a human perspective. But God does not work according to our timetable. That Jesus will return is guaranteed by his resurrection from the dead – Acts 17:31

3:1 This is the second time – 2Pet 1:13 being the first – where Peter talks about reminding his audience of what they knew already. We always need to be reminded of the things that we have been taught.

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts. And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”

“When a thing expected is very desirable, it is liable to be desired with an intensity that may blind the eyes a little to the details of the interval lying between expectation and realisation. Nothing is or could be so desirable as that which God has promised—the extirpation of all evil among men by the interposition of His own powerful arm. It is natural, therefore, that the ardent believers of the promise (and none others are interesting as believers, or acceptable with God) should in all ages have indulged in premature expectation with regard to the time of its fulfilment.” Robert Roberts, in the Christadelphian, 1884

Nearly two thousand years ago, the apostle Peter prophesied that there would be scoffers in the last days questioning Christ’s return, using the false premise that all things continue as they were since the beginning of Creation. In light of Bible prophecy, observation would argue otherwise, as the signs are everywhere. Christ rebuked the Pharisees for not recognizing the signs of his first coming, nor of the momentous times they were living in (Matt 16:3). Likewise, Christ fully expects us to recognize the signs of his second coming, and the momentous times we live in, and he will hold us to the same standard of accountability.

Like the proverbial frog in the pot of water didn’t notice the increasing temperature, we can easily become inured to the increasing troubles around us. But, we are not only to watch the signs of the times of world events around us, we are also to watch the signs of our own spiritual state (Luke 21:34-36).